Petition To Melania: Pay Up Or Move Into White House

People are signing an online petition that demands First Lady Melania Trump move to the White House or cover the costs for securing her and her son at New York City's Trump Tower.

Launched a week ago, the Change.org petition is addressed to the U.S. Senate and has garnered thousands of signatures so far.

"The U.S. taxpayer is paying an exorbitant amount of money to protect the First Lady in Trump Tower, located in New York City," reads the petition, AOL reports. "As to help relieve the national debt, this expense yields no positive results for the nation and should be cut from being funded."

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The first lady had announced she would be staying at Trump Tower in New York to be with her son, Barron Trump, who turned 11 in March, as he finishes the school year at prestigious Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan.

The decision has triggered multiple criticisms by Americans who feel the cost of providing security to Trump Tower is astronomical.

"If she chooses to live apart from her husband, the American Tax Payers should NOT pick-up the tab!" stated a woman from Wyoming. "They can afford to pay for the extravagance of living apart. The tax payers have provided a perfectly acceptable home which has met the needs of every other previous president."

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According to The Independent, one Rhode Island citizen wrote: "Living in the White House is what you do when you are married to the president. The tax money saved by eliminating these extra protection expenses can be used to feed junior citizens. Why is our tax money being spent on people who already have more than their fair share?"

A woman from New Jersey added: "Every First Lady has lived in the White House. We pay enough for Trump’s golf trips."

According to Police Commissioner James O'Neil, lawmakers were informed in February that the cost of securing Trump Tower amounted to $127,000 to $146,000 every day, with this amount rising to $308,000 when the president is in town.

Initial estimates had the costs even higher.

Security is traditionally provided to all members of the president's core family. However, the size of President Donald Trump's family -- four adult children and 11-year-old Barron -- has significantly boosted the cost of security.

Melania and Barron are slated to move to D.C. in June, reports affirm.

The petition has accumulated over 92,000 signatures since it launched a week ago. The goal is to reach 150,000 supporters, after which it will be sent to Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as the rest of the Senate.